Living on "Y" hwy...

Ronald Reagan contemplated death many times--how it might come and how to graciously accept it. He hated to fly. Every time he got in a plane he prayed. "Do you pray that the plane won't crash?" his daughter Patti logically asked him. "No," he answered, "I pray that whatever God's will is I'll be able to accept it with grace and have faith in His wisdom. We're always in God's hands. Sometimes it's hard to accept that, so I pray that He'll help me just to trust in His will." He instructed his daughter, "When we die is God's business as is how we die. President Ronald Reagan

I happened across this as I was browsing one day, I thought it was interesting so I copied and pasted it into a blog draft. Now, several months later, it seems like a good jumping off place for me to write this blog.

No, I'm not dying...(or flying)

I'm just moving to "Y" Hwy.

I've discussed at some length my various personal situations here in my blogs, so some of you know that I'm facing foreclosure on my home and 63 acres. It's been a very long process that's taken so many twists and turns, and now my majority feeling is just to get it over with. But as our late, great, elder statesman so bravely put it...

"I pray that whatever God's will is I'll be able to accept it with grace and have faith in His wisdom. We're always in God's hands. Sometimes it's hard to accept that, so I pray that He'll help me just to trust in His will."

I'll confess, that there have been many times during the past 2 years that I've completely "lost it". I think that this experience has been one of the hardest things that I've ever had to face, why? because it's never been just one thing at a time, (it's several all at once) and also, because it just never seemed to end...(it still hasn't)

At one point last week My A/C was out (it hasn't worked all year) my well was malfunctioning, (no water for 3 days) the TV is history because of the digital changeover, (a mixed blessing) and my internet connection was also out for about 4 days, (ouch!) I have however, become a much more patient individual in the process. Stuff that used to really annoy me or that I wouldn't of tolerated before just doesn't seem to matter nearly as much anymore.

I thought it was interesting that I was moving to a house on "Y" hwy, a bit comical even! (when I'm not choking back my rage) The letter Y is somehow symbolic to me, if you consider that it kind of represents the proverbial "fork in the road" or a choice to make, which in my situation consists of...

A) Be consumed with bitterness and hatred for all those who are either directly or in-directly responsible (self included) for my circumstances. Wallow in a deep pool of self pity and resist any efforts made to extract me.

B) Be ever so thankful that my wife, daughter and I are not living under a bridge somewhere, that we're actually living there rent free which will allow me to save money towards perhaps living somewhere else.

We can laugh or we can cry...I simply prefer to laugh!

Oh! you might find this interesting, right across the street from where I'm moving is a place called "Pigman Ranch" It's claim to fame is that in the sixties the Beatles spent some time there just getting away from it all. Here's a picture of the main house from my back yard

Here's where I'm moving into

Whattaya think? It's a "fixer upper" right? Some curtains, a little paint...LOL

We've been spending a lot of time working on cleaning up the inside and I installed a new sink and toilet. We've also done a little sheetrock work and some painting trying to fix it up. I have some used carpet to lay down and of course I'll have to scrape the house and paint it...

What I find most interesting is how I can see the Lord working in the circumstances of my life. For some time I've prayed for an opportunity to be used by the Lord in a greater way, and that He might be exalted and glorified through my life. I've been searching to find a place of ministry that would make use of the gifts and talents He gave me. I see whats happening to me simply as necessary steps in that process, the idea being that there's no testimony without a test... A week or two ago someone told me a story about a cake and how if we were to receive all of the individual ingredients one at a time to make that cake we might not think it was such a great thing. Sort of like this..."Here's a few cups of flour, open up!" or maybe, "here, try some of this baking soda!" or even, "Hungry? here's two raw eggs" You get the idea?

I have no idea what stage of the process I'm in at the moment, it feels a bit like I'm in the oven lately...(lol) what with this heat we've been having. Thats good though because maybe it means that I'm nearing the end and that soon my life will enter the "cake" phase, which if I'm not mistaken is followed by the icing, I'm a big fan of both so I'm hoping that's the case...